


Be With You

by BurnedStars777



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Canon Compliant, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Hurt/Comfort, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey Needs A Hug, Romantic Soulmates, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, Soft Ben Solo, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 08:26:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21966361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurnedStars777/pseuds/BurnedStars777
Summary: Ben succeeded where his grandfather couldn’t. He saved the woman he loved.“So, you’re going by Skywalker now?”Takes place after the ending of TROS.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, rey - Relationship
Comments: 98
Kudos: 890





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, it’s been a while, but I thought I’d write a story about the ending of TROS. I’ll make this a multi-chapter story depending on feedback.  
> WARNING: This fic is a major spoiler for TROS. If you want to hear my thoughts on the controversial ending, check out the note below!  
> This fic is inspired by a request prompt from @unbreakabledyad

It sounds strange, but the sand on Tatooine is different than it was on Jakku.

It takes some time to find Luke’s home planet, and even longer to locate the exact place he had spent most of his young life. It turns out Force ghosts aren’t great at giving directions.

Rey’s feet twist in the sand as she pivots into a crouch. She rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet, sweat beading on her brow as the harsh desert planet’s sun beats down on her shoulders. BB-8 rolls beside her, doing his best to keep up while also giving her the space she needs to concentrate. Rey levels her breathing, wipes her forehead with the back of her hand, and then she’s off.

She leaps into the air, the Force taking her several feet higher than any regular person can hope to jump. As she turns midair, igniting her lightsaber, the golden light of its blade leaps to life. She lands and gives her saber a couple of swings, releasing grunts of exertion. She starts to brace herself for another jump when she suddenly feels a presence behind her. She whips around on instinct, brandishing her weapon at her observers.

“So, this is the welcome we get for our generosity,” Poe jokes, a bag of portions slung under his arm. Finn and Chewie stand by his side, their arms full of what appear to be water containers. “Hate to see what type of greeting your assailants get,” Poe adds.

Rey immediately lowers her weapon, exhaling. She gives her friends a breathless smile.

“So, Rey,” Finn says with a grin. “Are you going to invite us inside?”

The space is a little crowded for three people, a droid and a Wookie, but they make the most of it. Finn has already helped himself to a serving of water, but Rey doesn’t mind. He’s worked up enough of a sweat to warrant a serving anyhow.

Chewie looks around the small dining space and releases a roar.

“Believe it or not, this is an upgrade from where I used to be,” Rey replies, referencing her time on Jakku. She smiles down at her hands as she takes a portion. “Besides, I feel closest to Luke and Leia here.”

“Well, it seems BB-8’s made himself right at home,” Poe states, reaching over and patting his droid affectionately. He pauses and straightens, meeting Rey’s eyes. “Does Leia ever mention me, by any chance? On how I’m doing?” The way he asks, it’s like he’s half-joking, but Rey can see he’s genuinely moved when he speaks of the late Princess.

“She thinks you’re a fine General,” Rey answers, her eyes twinkling.

Chewie roars in encouragement.

“Swo Rey,” Finn says around his portion of food that he’s also helped himself to, “how wong do yuh think yow’ll be on Tuatoowine?”

Rey’s smile fades a bit. “I’m not sure,” she answers honestly.

Poe frowns. “I thought you said the business you had here was quick.”

“It was; I just…I don’t want to leave just yet.”

Finn swallows his food and wipes his mouth, his demeanor becoming more serious. “Is something bothering you, Rey? You know you can tell us anything, right?”

For a moment, she considers it. They’ve been through so much together, but even now the secrets between them sit out in the open, stagnant. BB-8 rolls up to her and hits her foot, and she smiles at the droid as she’s pulled from her thoughts.

“I’m fine,” she says, brightly, maybe too much so. “Really.”

Her friends decide to spend the night in the _Millennium Falcon,_ choosing to depart the next morning in case Rey has a change of heart overnight and decides to join them. The sky is tinged in dark pinks and oranges as the twin suns disappear over the horizon. Poe makes banter with Chewie and catches up with BB-8 as they re-enter the _Falcon_ to get settled _._ Rey notices how Finn lingers by her side, and for a moment she becomes concerned with how seriously he is looking at her.

“Finn?”

“I never got to tell you,” he blurts. “I never got to tell you…that thing I wanted to tell you.”

Rey blinks in surprise, and then recollection. That’s right. He had wanted to tell her something on Pasaana, but at the time there had been other priorities.

She gives him her full attention. “Yes, Finn?”

Her best friend glances off to the side, and he’s suddenly unsure. He seems embarrassed, even. Finn raises a hand to clutch the back of his head as he takes a deep breath. “I…I think I might be Force sensitive.”

With his admission, Rey’s shoulders relax, and an easy smile comes across her face. “I know,” she replies softly.

“You…you _know?”_

She nods, her smile growing. “I pieced it together myself. How else are you always able to find me?”

Finn laughs. “I guess you’re right.”

Rey pauses, her hand instinctively running over the hilt of her staff-turned-saber. “I could train you, if you’d like.”

His eyes widen. “You would? Rey, that would be…that would be…and I’d have a saber? And be able to do that Force mind trick? And move things and-”

“More or less,” Rey replies, touching his arm in companionship. “As long as you bear with me. I’m still fairly new at this.”

“Of course!” Finn shouts, and then composes himself. “Of course,” he repeats, more seriously.

Rey laughs.

\---

The others offer for her to sleep in the _Falcon_ with them, but Rey opts to spend her last night inside Luke’s old home; partly for sentimental reasons but also because…she’s been feeling off again.

Sometimes it’s a small tingling in her spine while she’s training, other times she’ll be eating and hear a buzz in her ears. Once, she was about to bath herself when she felt a sensation so strong at the base of her skull that she redressed herself and chose to meditate instead.

It’s strange, these sensations. Familiar, yet nuanced. It almost feels like how it used to when they…just before-

Rey jolts awake in a cold sweat, only to realize it’s still pitch-black outside. She brings a hand to her eyes, pressing her palm into her lids. Even in waking, an image from her dream burns in her brain. A willow tree surrounded in a meadow of yellow. She has no idea what it means, but she knows for sure she has never been there.

But it isn’t just the image of the tree. She could have sworn she sensed…

Rey opens her eyes and looks around in the darkened room, her heart in her throat.

“Are you there?” she whispers.

When no one answers, and with the sensations gone, she feels a little foolish. Luke had told her once that not everyone who becomes one with the Force can become a Force ghost. It took someone powerful in the Force, someone who had not only become one with it, but had the ability and the desire to use the technique to produce their corporeal form in the afterlife.

In other words, she tries not to get her hopes up.

She lies back down again and pretends to fall asleep for her own sanity. Even so, whispers of previous information pass through her mind. Luke had also said if a Force ghost manifests, he or she is more likely to do so in a place that holds great meaning to him or her. It was why Rey had seen both Luke and Leia when she had first arrived on Tatooine. But Ben…

She has no idea what place held meaning to him. As barmy as it is, he is the person she knew the most and least. 

She thinks of the willow in the field of yellow again. It’s such a random image to pop into her mind and yet…Rey knows by now nothing in the Force happens by coincidence. Could this be the place where he could appear to her?

Her heart begins pounding. It has been three months since Ben became one with the Force, since he had transferred his life-Force into her.

And she has not seen him since.

She has told herself she will say on Tatooine to continue her training, to eventually become skilled enough in the Force to train others, including Finn. But now…

She has something she has to find out first.

The next morning, she boards the _Millennium Falcon_ with BB-8. Her journey isn’t over just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More chapters to come very soon! 
> 
> FULL THOUGHTS ON TROS ENDING WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS: (I hope my take makes you feel better)
> 
> As heartbreaking as it is, I actually don’t hate it. HEAR ME OUT, lol. Would I have preferred if Ben had survived and lived with his mistakes with Rey by his side? Absolutely. That being said, I really think this is a beautiful, albeit sad ending. Ben succeeded where his grandfather didn’t. He saved the woman he loved. He isn’t really dead if you think about it. He’ll always be with her, the same way Luke and Leia are. “No one is ever really gone.” Palpatine was LITERALLY like ‘they have the strongest connection’ he’s ever seen, so you know they’ll still be connected and probably talk all the time, let’s be real. I was shocked we even got a kiss out of it, tbh. I do think if JJ had wanted to keep him alive he would have needed to devote time to explain why the Resistance should let him go free/forgive him and unfortunately there was just no time to make that believable in my opinion. As much as I love this ship, I still think the story is more important and should come first and him living wouldn’t have made sense unless they had time to explain why he is forgiven by the galaxy. Something to also keep in mind is Rey’s demeanor after he passed. She seemed very much at peace, which I think speaks to their spiritual connection living on. I think there were many touching scenes with these two in this movie, and although it ended very sadly for some people, to me it was bittersweet and optimistic. Ben was redeemed, and the look she gives him when he comes for her is so beautiful to me. He lives on through Rey because he gave her his life-force. I also don’t think Rey is going to just live on Tatooine alone. Sure she might spend some time there, because it’s “her new home,” but I seriously doubt she is just going to leave her adopted family. I can’t really explain how I feel any other way. There isn’t much else I can say because everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and I totally get if you hated this ending. I, myself, will never NOT be sad when I watch their kiss scene because I know what comes after it, but to me, out of all the ways this could have ended, I don’t think this is a terrible place to end on. It makes me really, really sad how negative the fandom has gotten though. I’m leaving Tumblr for idk how long because it makes me so upset. I totally get if people are upset and express being upset, but word of advice, PLEASE don’t be the type that’s like “fuck JJ Abrams, he's the worst ever”, because if you are, that really makes you no better than the people that hated TLJ and were toxic online because it didn’t fit their head canon. I truly think we should have each other for support and focus on the beautiful and positive moments between these two. Reylo is canon, and will forever be canon. I’ll always have mixed feelings, but coming away from this movie, I can honestly say I am happy that the ship is still sailing, and I can’t wait to see what you all write to keep it going. Let me know your thoughts! It's okay if you disagree!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the amazing response! I'll try to post every other day at the least. So make sure to check for update!

It’s not easy for Rey to explain to her friends that she won’t be staying with them for long. After all, they’ve just gotten her back after an almost three-month hiatus. Then again, she doesn’t think this is something she can ever properly explain to them, when she herself doesn’t quite know what she’s about to do.

Still, it pains her to keep this part of her life from them. There is no one alive who knows the extent of her connection with Ben Solo. To her friends, he will always be Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order, responsible for the death of billions, and in a way, they’re right. Even Leia, when she was alive, could not have possibly known how deep Rey’s bond with her son ran. It would be impossible to explain something like that to them, as much as she would like to.

Instead she opts to tell them the closest truth she can.

“There’s a disturbance in the Force. It’s calling to me, and I don’t know how or why.”

“And you’re _sure_ this isn’t something we can help you with?” Poe asks skeptically, his mouth tugging into a deep frown.

“We’ll do anything you need us to, Rey,” Rose adds, wiping her oil-slicked hands on a nearby rag. The engineer had made sure to join their group on the _Falcon_ as soon as they had docked at the New Republic’s latest base.

Unfortunately, it is hard to have a completely private conversation with the clangs of construction and pattering of feet coming from just outside the ship, but they manage with what they can. Despite the gravity of the conversation, Rey can’t help but shuffle her feet. She’s always been better with taking action rather than talking.

“Thank you, but you’ll have to trust me. This is something I need to do alone,” she tells them, sounding more confident than she feels.

Finn walks up to her, and only now does she fully recognize how much his appearance has changed over the past few months. His hair is longer, thicker, his shoulders broader. He stands more confidently, as if he is ready to charge into blaster fire at any moment, despite how fatigued he must be from fighting for so long. His dark brown eyes scan her face, lighting up into that concerned gaze that has regretfully become so familiar to her.

“You always do this, Rey. You can’t just run off into danger and expect the rest of us not to follow. We’re your friends.” The last sentence is tinged with hurt, and it makes Rey’s heart ache.

“I haven’t been fair to you,” Rey admits to Finn, and then she surveys the others. “To any of you.” She takes a deep breath, one filled with regret. “And right now, I need to be unfair for a little longer. I can’t explain why, but it’s just…”

“A feeling?” Finn finishes, and despite his hurt, the corner of his mouth tugs up. He sighs. “I guess I can understand that.”

Chewie roars in confusion and then looks to BB-8 who turns in a manner equivalent to a shrug.

“Thank you,” Rey breaths, and a moment later Finn envelops her in a tight hug. When he releases her, she turns to Poe. “Besides, I can’t very well ask the General of the New Republic to leave his post on a whim.”

Poe places a hand on his hip with a cocky grin. “Well, you just have to make sure I’m in a good mood first.”

Rose rolls her eyes, while Finn laughs.

Rey looks to Finn again. “And I promise when I return, the first thing we’ll do is-”

“I know,” Finn interrupts her, nodding.

It suddenly occurs to Rey that perhaps Finn wants to keep his Force sensitivity between the two of them a little longer. She can’t judge him for it; when she first discovered she could use the Force the last thing she wanted to do was advertise it.

“Besides,” Finn continues. “It’s not like I’ll be completely bored while you’re gone. Jannah’s helping me to locate defecting Stormtroopers from the First Order. People like us.” The way his face lights up serves to ease some of Rey’s guilt.

“Well,” she says, “as long as you all don’t need my help with-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Poe waves his hand, “don’t you worry about us, Skywalker. We’ll find a way to manage without you.”

Chewie roars in agreement, and that’s the last stamp of approval Rey needs.

She departs the next morning in a spare X-wing. Normally she would have taken the _Millennium Falcon,_ but the ship has always been more of Chewie’s than hers, and she can’t ask him to accompany her.

Especially since she has no idea where she’s going. 

At first her plan is to start on the outer rim and work her way inward, hitting all of the planets harboring vegetation, but she realizes very quickly how impractical this is. Not only will it be impossible to visit every habitable planet in the galaxy but spending most of her life on Jakku has not done her any favors with effective exploration.

So, she goes to Takodana to visit one of the most knowledgeable people she knows.

“A willow tree in a field of yellow?” Maz Kanata inquires, adjusting her spectacles. “Child, I don’t know if I can help you.” She disappears into a backroom of the seedy establishment where they’ve chosen to meet, and Rey has no choice but to follow her.

“I realize it’s not a lot to go off of,” Rey says, ducking slightly to avoid a suspended tapestry in the doorway, “but please, I need your help. I don’t know where else to turn.”

“I’m surprised. I thought the dead would speak to you.” Despite the dry statement, Maz’s hands shake as she picks up a stray bottle and drains its contents, revealing how affected she still is by Leia’s passing.

“I’m not sure this is an answer Luke or Leia can give me,” Rey responds, her thumb crossing over her saber at the mention of her former masters. 

“But you seek a place meaningful to the Skywalkers, hm?”

Rey nods.

Maz squints her eyes and scrutinizes her. The look would be unnerving if Rey didn’t already know her so well. 

“Well,” the orange woman says at last, “I don’t expect you’ll tell me why you’re on such a quest, just as much as I expect to understand it.” A wry smile stretches across her face. “Even so, I suppose I know a _few_ places.”

\---

Rey lands her ship in a cluster of trees on Endor. The greenery provides enough cover for her ship in case she comes across hostile visitors. Although after Maz’s description of the furry creatures that inhabit this planet, Ewoks, Rey highly doubts she will need to take many precautions.

She can tell almost as soon as she lands that Endor is not the place from her vision, but she’s exhausted from her journey and the thought of going back into the X-wing is nearly torturous. Instead she builds herself a small bed out of sticks and large leaves, using her saber to cut the wood when needed. At one point she scares an Ewok nearly half to death, and she is reminded of her short stay on Ahch-To; the inhabitants hadn’t liked her very much there either.

By the time she finishes her make-shift bed, only the golden glow of her saber lights her actions. She extinguishes her blade and lies on her back, staring up at the stars. She focuses on her breathing, feeling the Force thrumming all around her. It is moments like this, where she feels most at peace.

And then her world goes yellow.

As quick as a switch, Rey sits up, her entire body being brushed with tall, golden grass that reaches her shoulders. She stands carefully, trying to commit as much as she can to memory. There are flowers, she realizes, something she had not noticed before. They are sprinkled throughout the stalks of grass, and her eyes follow them, until they meet the base of the willow tree. The long threads of vines stretch to the meadow floor, swaying gently in the wind. Had the Skywalkers come here before their family was torn apart?

_Rey._

Her gasp is so abrupt she is instantly back on Endor, standing atop her make-shift bed. She sinks to the ground, her shoulders shaking so violently it takes a moment for her to recognize she is sobbing. It takes even longer to recognize it is in relief rather than sorrow.

She had never properly grieved Ben. She didn’t feel she ever needed to, for his passing was different than Han’s or Luke’s or Leia’s. She carries him everywhere she goes. Whatever she does, she feels his essence inside her, and she always assumed that would be enough. But now…

It was his voice. It was _his_ voice. He is out there. Somewhere.

“I’m going to find you,” she says to a silent forest. 


	3. Chapter 3

Rey spends the next week traveling to the different locations Maz has given her. She finds Hoth particularly unbearable, but then again, she has never been one to tolerate the cold. She rubs her hands together to get some feeling back into them, as she prepares for an uncomfortable sleep in her X-wing.

As she travels from planet to planet, her hope is unwavering, but she begins to wonder if this is the right method. Just because these places held meaning to Luke and Leia does not mean they held any value to Ben. Rey wishes, not for the first time, that there was someone alive who knew Ben when he was younger, before he became Kylo Ren. Surely as the son of General Organa he would have made connections with nobles or maybe the children of other generals?

A thought crosses into Rey’s mind and it seems so far-fetched she almost instantly dismisses it. Then again, she really doesn’t have anything else to go off of, so she supposes it’s worth a shot…

It takes a moment for the transmitter in her X-wing to properly connect due to the volatile weather of Hoth, but eventually her signal reaches the New Republic’s base. When it does patch through, however, the face she sees isn’t quite what she expects.

“BB-8,” Rey exclaims in happy surprise as the droid swivels his head. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“We could say the same about you,” she hears Poe pipe in off screen, and soon he’s squeezing into a seat beside the droid. Rey notes how he haggard he looks, and she feels a rush of guilt. While her friends are back at base rebuilding the New Republic, she’s off on a selfish quest that could possibly amount to nothing.

“How’s the top-secret mission going?” Poe continues, placing a palm on BB-8’s head.

Rey adjusts her coat and wipes her runny nose with the back of her hand. “It’s…going.”

“I can see that. Looks like a load of fun.”

She glares halfheartedly, before sighing, her breath releasing a cloud of white. “I actually called to ask you something.”

Poe raises an eyebrow and leans forward. “Oh?”

It takes all of her nerve not to glance off to the side. “It’s about Ben Solo.”

Poe is silent for a very long time. Rey realizes what a shot in the dark she’s making. Poe has known General Organa for most of his lifetime; his parents served the Resistance when they fought the Empire, but that doesn’t mean he knows anything about the late General’s family.

Not only that, but what her friends know about Kylo Ren postmortem is hazy at best. She had told them in the end, Ren had stood by her side to defeat Emperor Palpatine and had succumbed after becoming one with the Force. Everything else she is not sure how to explain, and it isn’t like she has tangible proof, so she let it be. She hasn’t told them of how the scar she had given Ben completely vanished after his redemption, and she _certainly_ hasn’t told them that they…

“What _about_ Ben Solo?”

Rey is jolted from her thoughts, and she does the best to compose herself, thankful that her cheeks are already rosy from the cold.

“Did you know him before he became Kylo Ren?” she asks carefully, noting how Poe’s eyebrows furrow, as if he’s processing a memory he’d like to forget.

“I knew of him,” he answers honestly, and Rey is surprised when he doesn’t go digging for her motives behind the question. “I saw him a couple of times in passing when we had to attend events for the New Republic.”

“Do you remember where any of those events were held?”

Poe runs a hand over his chin. “Coruscant mostly. Naboo once. General Organa was always flying back and forth between the two.”

“…And Ben was always with her?” Rey pries.

This time she doesn’t get off so easy.

“What’s with the fixation on Solo?” Poe questions, and when she doesn’t immediately reply he adds, “did something happen with you two?”

Rey opens her mouth, but no sound escapes. What can she possibly say to that? As much as she loves Poe, she and he don’t exactly have the best record for being on the same page. She is positive whatever she says will be misinterpreted.

Fortunately, he seems to sense this too. “Forget it,” he says, waving her away, and then he continues, with a touch of concern, “just be careful, alright? Finn will have my head if anything happens to you.”

Rey gives a breathless smile, thankful the tension in the conversation has diffused.

“I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

“It’s a good thing you called,” Poe continues, “because there’s something else.”

Rey waits expectantly.

“The New Republic has gotten word there are sympathizers of the First Order still lurking about. Apparently, there are bounties set for prominent members of the Resistance.” Poe looks grim. “There’s one on me…and you.”

Rey shouldn’t be surprised, but the news that a bounty is placed on her head is unsettling.

“Like I said,” Poe reiterates, “just be careful.”

\---

Rey takes a gamble and decides to leave for Naboo. She knows Coruscant is a planet comprised entirely of one massive city, so she suspects the willow trees and yellow fields are few and far between there.

She has never been to Naboo, obviously, but she has heard it is a sight to behold; grand architecture, crystal waters, lush valleys. She tries to imagine a young Ben, restless from attending his mother’s meetings. She pictures him as a quiet child, one who prefers the company of himself over others. Then she imagines her grandfather whispering terrible things into his ear, manipulating his thoughts, and she gets a bad taste in her mouth.

By the time she lands her X-wing on the edge of a lake under a patch of trees, the sun has set, and Rey knows she will spend yet another night’s rest outdoors. The air is crisp, but not unpleasant, and she lays her winter coat on the dirt to serve as a mattress.

She doesn’t fall asleep right away because her mind is too busy. She can’t help it. There’s a rush of excitement swirling inside her chest. During her travels the sensations of Ben’s presence had ebbed and flowed, never quite reaching the peak they had when she had been on Endor. Even now she wonders if the pounding she feels is any indication he is near, or if it is merely the sound of her own anxious heart.

Rey closes her eyes and rests her cheek against the back of her hand. She tries to remember the feel of Ben’s skin under her palm. Their moment together, before his passing, had been so brief that she finds herself almost drawing a blank. His eyes had been desperate, but so, so relieved and grateful she was awake, that she was alive with him. She had never kissed anyone before but leaning into him had seemed like the most natural thing in the galaxy; it was like stretching after a deep sleep. She wishes she could recall what his lips had felt like. Had they moved as much as hers? Had they been firm or gentle?

He had smiled; that much she remembered. She had never seen him smile like that, and he had been looking that way, at _her._

There’s a twinge of longing in her chest, and for the first time in a long time, Rey feels a little alone.

\---

Her stomach is the thing that rouses her, a little earlier than she would have liked. Rey spends the first half of the day exploring the town, visiting marketplaces so she can trade in credits for food and supplies for the X-wing. A species of man with a face like clay and spikes protruding from his collarbone tries to barter with her, but she’s spent too much time on Jakku to accept an unfavorable deal.

“Ah, oke, oke, one portion anda fuel for the miss,” he concedes, clapping together scaly, lavender-tinged hands. “You want me to takea look atcha ship, eh miss?”

Rey opens her mouth to tell him that won’t be necessary, when the edges of her vision go blurry. There’s a space pocket, an absence of sound around her ears, and the marketplace fades away. A brush of wind touches her shoulder, too warm to be naturally occurring. Her feet take her away from the stand, and the surprised call of the merchant falls on her deaf ears.

She is almost to the tree line when she receives of flash of yellow, and she breaks into a full sprint. She uses the Force to jump over a running brook, landing gracefully before picking up speed. The trees become thinner, the grass drier, and Rey’s eyes grow brighter. She Force jumps again, this time over a fallen tree and bursts past the last thicket of shrubs into a clearing.

It is silent.

The golden grass from her vision is just as it was, but it has become overgrown, reaching up to her hip while she is standing. With every step several stalks crumble to dust and crunch underneath her feet, too dry to withstand any sort of pressure.

The space is about the size of a docking port, and with clear skies overhead it’s incredibly easy to find the willow tree, standing in the center. Despite its massive presence, it has transformed from Rey’s vision. The vines are few and scraggly, barely offering any cover. The bark of the great trunk is chipped and weathered beyond mending.

As Rey approaches, she moves her hand gently, lifting the tangled vines with the Force before stepping inside the meager enclosure they create. She lifts her chin to stare up at the willow, and she presses her hand to the dry bark to confirm what she already knows. This tree has been dead for a long time.

Cold fury begins to grip her entire being. In a moment of anger, her hand flies to her saber and she ignites the blade, it’s golden light splashing against the deadened tree. She has half a mind to cut it down, to hack it into pieces. And then all at once her anger fades, and her shoulders go slack. She extinguishes her blade and returns it to her hip.

Tears prick her eyes as she leans forward to press her forehead to the bark. For all of her searching, the vision sent to her was a false one. She knows the Force works in mysterious ways, but she can’t imagine why it would lead her here just for her to come across an end as dead as the willow tree.

Maybe she should just go back to Tatooine.

_Don’t._

Rey jerks back so harshly that she stumbles and lands painfully on her rear. She gets up just as quickly, tossing her head back and forth, scanning the inner workings of the vines.

“Ben?” she whispers, her voice raspy. Her throat is thick with emotion, and she isn’t sure if she should even be waiting for a response.

Another moment passes, and then something rolls over her. The warm wind presses against her back, along the base of her skull, within her chest, thrumming. With a tentative step forward she reaches out and parts the ugly vines of the willow, moving them aside as she would a crusty curtain.

As the branches part down the middle, she finally sees him.

He’s barely corporeal, his form nearly transparent and wispy like a reflection in a waterfall. He’s dressed as he was the night when he left her, his drab clothes still so unfamiliar from what she has come to know. And he’s smiling.

“So, you’re going by Skywalker now?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Ben is going to seem a little different, more at peace and friendlier, because this is his redeemed self. I loved how in TROS he was like two different people at the start and at the end. (Especially when he goes “ow.” That was gold, and I think very telling that Ben has a dry sense of humor like his parents.)

Rey’s entire body is stiff with disbelief. She can’t believe he’s actually in front of her. His projection wavers like it might vanish at any moment, and maybe this observation is what causes her to surge forward. Her hand is automatically raising to grasp his cheek, to feel him like she had that day on Exogal…

…But when she finally tries to make contact, her fingertips pass through him like water. She jerks her hand back in shock, and Ben sobers from her expression.

“Sorry. I’m…not very good at this.”

“I don’t understand,” Rey says softly, lowering her hand and taking a step back, afraid to touch him again, in case he should disappear. “Is it…is it really you?”

The corner of his mouth twitches, and he gives a small nod. “I think so.”

Rey moves her head to the side, surveying his entire projection. It’s so fragile she can barely see his body from the knee down. Normally when Luke or Leia appear to her, their bodies are tangible; they’re able to pick up objects or even touch her shoulder. To put in bluntly, she’s never seen a projection so weak before.

But it doesn’t matter. He’s here. He’s _really_ here.

“I’ve missed you,” she says, and now that she has said it out loud, she realizes how true it really is. Sure, she might have been at peace with Ben’s passing, but that doesn’t mean she would have chosen this for him. If only she could touch his hand…

Ben seems to sense her unsettlement, for he takes a step forward and reaches, very carefully. He pauses just before he grazes her cheek, and when he finally does, he passes through her just as she did to him. She feels nothing.

A tiny frown appears on his face. “Maybe this is all I can do,” he says quietly. 

“Is it because of the tree?” Rey inquires, a bit of her usual spirit returning as she problem-solves. “This place must have held meaning to you.”

Ben’s eyes trail to the willow tree thoughtfully. She watches as a light breeze picks up, ruffling the grass, and some stray leaves, but every hair and piece of clothing on his being remains untouched.

“I came here when I wanted to avoid tedious Nabooian galas,” he explains, walking forward and phasing right through the vines. Rey trails after him, knocking the branches away with her arm. His head ducks as he examines the bark of the dead tree, searching for something. “I stuck one of my cufflinks into the bark, here.”

Rey trains her eyes on where his blue-tipped fingers meld with the tree. Sure enough, there is a small, jagged ‘B’ for what she can only assume stands for Ben, carved into the bark.

“Were you happy here?” she asks.

He thinks for a moment. “Sometimes.”

Rey’s fingers glide over the B. “You brought me here, didn’t you? You sent me those visions.”

“I wanted to see you.”

“Why did you save me?” Her voice breaks on the question, much to her surprise. “You could have just left. You would still be here.” She can’t meet his eyes, so she screws them shut, giving her head a slight shake.

“Rey…”

When he says nothing else, Rey opens her eyes, only to discover he has gone.

\---

“So…how much longer do you think you’ll be, again?”

Rey bites her lip. “A few days. Another week at the most.”

Finn’s mouth tugs down at the corners, but Rey can tell he’s trying to be optimistic for her sake.

“How are things with Jannah and the defectors?” Rey inquires, changing the subject.

At this, Finn brightens. “Great actually! There are tons of former Troopers who are willing to serve time and help out the New Republic to make up for their involvement in the First Order. I guess a lot of them felt like Jannah and me, but they didn’t think they had a choice.” A thoughtful look crosses his face. “I’m still not sure how I feel about that, but Jannah says we should still give them a second chance. I can’t argue with her there.”

“That’s great to hear, Finn. I’m happy for you.”

Finn adjusts himself in his seat, and the screen on her X-wing glitches slightly. “But what about you, Rey? Have you found what you’re looking for?”

She turns her head in the direction of the golden field. “I’m not sure.”

\---

Rey spends the entirety of the following day in the field, mostly alternating between meditating and pacing. She occasionally enters the shelter of the willow to press her palm to the bark, hoping Ben will make another appearance. The tip of her finger runs over the mark he made years ago, and she wonders what his life had been like back then. She considers how different their lives could have been if her parents hadn’t left her on Jakku for her safety. Would she have been able to meet Ben Solo? Or would she have already been turned to the Dark Side?

The line of thought is so troubling to Rey that she launches into her training routine to distract herself. She exits the willow’s cover and ignites her saber, twirling her weapon expertly. She lunges at an unseen opponent, occasionally leaping into the air with the Force. She’s landing on one foot and pivoting, when she unexpectedly feels the Force thrum all around her.

She can feel his presence, but she’s half-afraid to turn around in case she is disappointed. It’s only when he speaks does she feel confident enough to meet his eyes.

“You’ve made yourself a lightsaber from your staff,” Ben observes, his form just as fragile and transparent as the day before. “It suits you.”

“Thank you,” Rey replies, feeling strange that they can have such a normal conversation when the circumstances are everything but that. “I think I expected the blade to be blue.”

“You’ve always been different,” he says, almost matter-of-factly.

Rey isn’t sure how to take his comment, but she’s suddenly blushing, so she extinguishes the saber and tries to look busy by reattaching it to her hip.

“Wait, don’t do that,” Ben says, and she pauses. “I want to see what you’ve learned.”

“You…want to see my training?” Rey questions, just to clarify that’s what he means.

Ben nods. “My mother taught you, didn’t she?”

It’s entirely odd to hear him refer to Leia as his mother, but something else catches Rey’s attention.

“Do you…have you spoken with her?”

Ben seems almost confused by the question, and he shakes his head. “I just know.”

Right. Rey imagines Force users and Jedi of the past don’t generally gather around to chat. She notices Ben looking at her almost expectantly, so she takes her saber and reignites the blade.

She channels her breathing, honing the Force as she rotates her lightsaber with precision. She glances over at him once, but other than watching her with interest, his expression is almost unreadable. Rey turns her attention back to her lightsaber and continues her routine, her movements marked by the crunching of the grass underneath her feet.

When she’s finished, her hairline is wet with perspiration, her breathing slightly uneven. She looks over to Ben and finds he is no longer there. He must have vanished without her noticing.

A wave of disappointment washes over her. Would it always be this way? Would he never have the ability to produce a fully corporeal Force projection? Maz had told her Leia had vanished long after her passing, and after Rey lined up the timing, she discovered she had waited to take her son into the afterlife with her. Does that mean Ben would not have been able to enter on his own? Does it mean these fleeting moments in this one place are all they will ever have?

Not if Rey can help it.


	5. Chapter 5

Two more days pass, and Ben does not appear again. Rey knows she is running out of time.

She can’t stay on Naboo forever. She has other responsibilities, to her friends, to the New Republic.

She spends most of her days training and exploring the lavish planet. She does her best to keep away from the more populated areas, choosing instead to wander along lakes and through meadows. On the third day she finds a soft, green valley with a tremendous waterfall toppling into the reservoir below. She jumps onto the rocks and lets the water plunge down her shoulders, cleansing her of her sleep on the dirt ground.

When she finishes rinsing her body, she takes a step back and watches her wavering reflection in the fall. The water rushes too quickly for her to get much more than a glimpse of her form, and experimentally she reaches out to touch it. Her fingers break through the water, as expected, the excited droplets springing along her arm.

She is so lost in thought that when she turns to leave her foot slips and she plummets into the freezing water. She clings ungracefully onto a nearby rock, for learning how to become a strong swimmer hasn’t been at the top of her priority list. She’s about to walk herself over to the shore, when she feels a rush of heat on her right shoulder. It clutches her body pleasantly, like a warm hand, as close to a touch as there can be without actually being it. It gives her a gentle push.

“Ben?” Rey calls, looking around, but the waterfall eclipses her voice.

As she cranes her neck, she realizes she is not along here. A group of five dressed in skin-tight black armor cluster along the shore, each of them holding a weapon. Rey ducks behind the cover of her rock and peeks out with furrowed eyebrows.

Deathtroopers. 

Rey’s heart drops. What are Deathtroopers doing on Naboo? Poe’s warning about bounty hunters rings in her ear, but she was expecting low-class gangsters, the kind she might find on Jakku, not Deathtroopers.

Rey watches as one of them gestures to the tree line and the group disappears. She pulls herself from the water. She needs to get to her X-wing to send out a transmission.

It takes her only minutes to reach her craft…or what’s left of it. The entire ship which had been carefully hidden in the trees has been dismembered and charred in several places. It only takes Rey a quick look to realize it is completely unflyable.

Which means they know she’s here.

She withdraws her saber, but heads for the border of trees; she knows she needs to leave the area as soon as possible. She’s stranded here until she can send out a transmission to her friends, but she isn’t quite sure how to do that with her X-wing out of commission. Maybe if she heads into the city she can-

_Rey!_

His voice is faint but urgent, and Rey skids to a stop just as blaster fire sails in front of her. She turns automatically deflecting the next blast with her saber. The Deathtroopers burst through the trees, firing rapidly, and Rey knows she’s in trouble. She spins her blade and throws out her arm, using all of her focus to toss one of the troopers over the side of ravine. She barely has time to wince as she feels the crunch of his body, for a stray shot clips her left hip and she stumbles back into the cover of trees.

She rises to her feet and breaks into a sprint, reaching out to see if she can sense either the Deathtroopers or Ben. While the former are easy enough to find-she can hear the pounding of their feet behind her-Ben is entirely silent, perhaps too weak from the exertion used to call out to her.

Rey makes a sharp turn and lets out a cry of alarm as she falls into a large crack in the earth and stone. She lands in roll, grimacing as her hip burns. She presses herself airtight against the shadow of a sharp boulder, holding her breath as she hears the remaining four Deathtroopers congregate overhead. She closes her eyes as she listens to their movements, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple. Eventually she hears them retreat into the forest, and she sinks to the ground. All of her bacta was left on the X-wing, and she’s too exhausted to heal herself for the moment. She slowly sinks over on her side with a wince and shuts her eyes.

\---

It’s funny how one never remembers how a dream starts. Rey doesn’t remember falling asleep, or how she got to where she is now, but when awareness does come over her, she discovers she is in the middle of a conversation with Ben Solo.

His body is still barely solid, but his entire form is there. He sits with his spine straight and his legs crossed. He has an easy smile on his face as if they’ve done this a million times before. When Rey glances down she realizes he’s holding her hand.

She can’t feel it, in fact his fingers are half phased into her palm, proving once again how weak his Force projection is. Nonetheless, she curls her fingers around his and pretends.

“Are you going to finish your thought?” Ben asks dryly, and Rey can tell he’s mildly amused.

She blinks. “W…what was I saying?”

“You were telling me why you chose the name Skywalker.”

“Oh.” A small, wistful smile crosses her face. “It just felt…right. I wanted to be able to choose my name for myself.”

“It has a nice ring to it,” Ben admits quietly, staring down at their not quite joined hands.

Rey follows his gaze and frowns. “Have you been able to create a Force projection anywhere else besides Naboo?”

He shakes his head. “The other day, when you found the willow, that was the first time.”

They are both silent for a long time, and then Rey sighs.

“I wish…I wish things didn’t have to be this way.”

“How do you mean?”

Rey’s cheeks redden. “I would at least like to know how to…how to touch you.”

She chances a glance at Ben just in time to see his eyes widen in surprise.

“You mean…you…want to be with me?”

The question nearly rips her heart in two, and she gulps down any tears that threaten to break free from her eyes.

“I’ve always wanted to take your hand.”

Ben swallows heavily, his form shimmering unsteadily. “Then we’ll figure out how.”

Rey awakens, alone and with a burning hip, but smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: More romance to follow in later chapters, gotta love that #slowburn


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year from the United States! 
> 
> Also READ THESE ARTICLES by The Hollywood Reporter and Nerdist: [ Hollywood Reporter Article ](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-writer-sets-record-straight-perceived-last-jedi-jabs-1265168)  
> [ Ben Solo Alternate Ending ](https://www.google.com/amp/s/nerdist.com/article/rise-of-skywalker-ending-changes-theories/%3famp)
> 
> Co-writer Chris Terrio talks about the ending of TROS. Some of it you can tell he’s covering the asses of the messy production, but some of the answers are promising. (let me know your take if you can or if you think it's all BS!)

The next day, after she’s properly healed herself, Rey sneaks into the city, making sure to cover her face with a hooded outer garment. If she can find a way to contact her friends, then she can safely get off this planet without endangering herself or disturbing the peace.

She keeps her head down as she passes bazaar after bazaar, doing the best not to draw attention to herself. As she nears the palace, she becomes aware of how prominent Ben’s presence is around her, much stronger than it has been since she first arrived.

“Are you there?” she whispers as she slips past another stone gate.

There is a long thread of silence, and then-

_Yes._

Rey’s heart beings pounding. “Good.”

She continues to move seamlessly past crowds of people, pulling her hood further over her face. If she could just talk to someone in the Theed Royal Palace-an official or _someone_ -maybe they would be willing to send out a transmission for her. She’s just about to sneak past another gate when Ben calls out to her.

_Wait._

She pauses. “What-”

Just then, a flash of black catches her eye. Rey presses her back against a marble wall, the shadow of an overhang concealing her. She tilts her head to find the Deathtroopers lurking on a small hill, just outside the palace gates. They are far enough not to draw too much attention, but close enough to spot her trying to cross onto the palace grounds.

Rey sighs in frustration. She doesn’t want to risk bringing violence to this peaceful city, especially since the war is supposed to be over. She’s going to have to retreat for now.

_Meet me at the tree,_ Ben says, his voice already starting to fade.

“I will,” Rey replies, although she isn’t sure if he is still there.

\---

About an hour later she finds Ben in the golden field, sitting just outside the curtain of dead vines. Rey finally lowers her hood and after a moment’s hesitation, sits next to him, dozens of strands of grass cracking under her weight.

“I don’t know how I’m going to get past the palace gates without disrupting the peace,” Rey tells him, brushing bits of grass off of her legs.

“Maybe you don’t need to,” he muses, his form wavering gently.

She cocks an eyebrow.

“Your friend is Force sensitive, right? FN-2187.”

“Finn.”

“…Finn, then.”

“He doesn’t have any training,” Rey argues, gripping her knee. “I don’t think I’ll reach him.”

“You didn’t have any training either,” Ben points out, “and I’ve seen you do more.”

For some reason he keeps saying things that make her face go red. “Yes well, it turns out that wasn’t entirely me.”

With the mention of her lineage, Rey can feel the mood shift, and she’s suddenly regretful. She wishes she could say something else that wouldn’t make the air seem so heavy, but she’s drawing a blank.

“Yes...it was,” Ben murmurs, and when Rey turns her head, he’s looking at her softly. Suddenly, she has an overwhelming urge to kiss him again, to hold him tightly.

“I want to try something,” she says, shifting her body so it faces him. She crosses her legs and places her hands on her thighs, palms up. When Ben lifts an eyebrow she explains, “Meditate with me.”

He looks skeptical, but he mirrors her position, and shuts his eyes, channeling his breathing. Rey does the same. She can feel his presence strongly, as if he is actually right there in front of her. She also feels it deep within her stomach, as if something is beating inside her abdomen. She hears Ben inhale sharply, and she tries to focus on the feeling.

The sensation is difficult to track down; it’s slippery and elusive. Just when she thinks she might finally have a reign on it, she loses it entirely, and her eyes snap open in frustration.

“I don’t understand!” she exclaims, rising angrily to her feet. “You’re here, but you’re not _here._ It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

Ben watches her calmly as she clenches and unclenches her fists in frustration. “Rey,” he says, and his voice is a little sad, “maybe it’s just me.”

“Don’t say that,” she snaps. “We’ll figure this out.”

“You should try contacting your friend,” Ben suggests, rising. “It isn’t safe for you here.”

Rey shakes her head. “I’m not leaving until we find out how to make this work.”

“Rey-”

“I’m not leaving you!” She jabs her finger into his chest only to have it phase right through his form. She drops her hand. “I’m not,” she says again, tiredly.

He gives her another soft look, the kind she’s realizing very quickly has the sole purpose to make her forget what she’s thinking. “Let’s try again tomorrow,” he suggests. 

Except there is no tomorrow.

Or the day after that.

Ben’s projection doesn’t appear to her for four days, even though she spends almost all of her time in the field. She keeps her promise to him and tries calling out to Finn with the Force as much as she can, but she has no way of knowing if it actually reaches him. She spends her time pacing the border of the field, deep in thought.

The truth is, Rey is terrified. She has no way back to her friends, and she doesn’t know if she’ll ever see Ben again. There was never a guarantee he could consistently produce a Force projection. The time they had together may have been all they were meant to have.

No. She can’t think like that. He’ll come back. He will. He-

Rey ignites her lightsaber and lashes out to her right, cutting the movement of the figure lunging towards her. Her blade impales the chest of a Deathtrooper, his uniform sparking erratically as she releases him, his body collapsing. She turns just before another can blast her in the stomach, and she puts some distance between the remaining three by Force jumping backwards. She spins her saber in an arch to deflect blasters, and only vaguely notices one of them has withdrawn a small orb.

Too late Rey realizes it is an explosive, and she surges to the left to avoid being blown to bits as the Deathtrooper launches it right at her. She hits the ground just as it goes off, ringing her ears and turning the area into a fiery inferno. Rey rolls onto her back and watches the scene in disbelief and horror.

The field. The willow tree. It’s all burning.

“No!” she screams, rising and having half a mind to race towards it. The flames greedily tear at the deadened bark, surging up into the branches with thick, black plumes of smoke. There is an awful cracking, and a moment later a large branch breaks off, hitting the ground with a sickening noise.

In the distance she can make out the outlines of the remaining Deathtroopers, scavenging the area, most likely for her body. She can’t remain here. Not only for her safety, but because in this moment she isn’t sure she can hold back from slaughtering them, and the feeling terrifies her.

She takes off for the trees, coughing violently. The field is so dry that the fire spreads with alarming speed, and she has to Force leap several times just to keep the flames off her tail. She eventually finds refuge by the falls, and she drinks hungrily from the flowing water to soothe her damaged throat. The reality of the whole situation hasn’t fully set in, and right now she just feels exhausted.

As night creeps over the sky, she discovers an opening in the side of one of the falls, the rock drenched in dripping water. She pushes past it until she comes into a small cave, big enough for someone as large as Chewie to lie down comfortably. Rey rings out her wet outerwear and lies down on the cave floor, refusing to think about the willow. Refusing to think about how the one place she could see Ben has now been reduced to ash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will look up for her soon! Once again, lemme know your thoughts on the article questions! I'm genuinely curious!


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Rey uses her saber to spear a fish for breakfast. In all honesty, she is stunned she has the coordination to catch anything, considering what little sleep she had the night before. After she eats, she sends out another Force call to Finn, and then spends the better half of the day debating if she should go back to what’s left of the willow tree.

Part of her wonders what would even be the point. She had seen Ben’s safe haven crumble with her own eyes. Not only that, but it might be foolish to head back to the field so soon after her encounter with the Deathtroopers; it is unlikely, but maybe the three had survived the fire. In the end, it’s the slim possibility she might find Ben that pushes her to go back.

As she trudges through the forest, white ash sails through the air like dandelions. Very slowly, and then all at once, the trees become blackened as she nears the scene of the crime. There is no thicket bordering the field anymore, in fact, there is no field at all. The entire area is cleansed of any vegetation; the burned grass is like spiderwebs littering the crisped ground.

Rey steps over the charred heap of the Deathtrooper she impaled, placing the back of her hand over her nose to block out any remaining scent of burnt flesh. She finds the other three bodies clustered together, contorted in various states of agony. Their final moments had been filled with the utmost torture, and Rey is immensely relieved when she discovers she feels no satisfaction from this. For a moment yesterday, she had thought she might lose control in her rage.

Finally, _finally,_ her eyes meet the sad excuse of the willow. Half of the base still holds strong, but it is ugly and broken, ash and black bark staring back at her. The tree had always been dead, but now it is destroyed. There is nothing left.

Rey forces down her tears, and she turns to leave, when suddenly she stops. She faces the tree again and frowns, her lips parting in thought. For some reason, she thinks she should stay.

Something is calling to her.

It isn’t Ben-she’s familiar with those sensations by now to realize this-but still, something is pulling her. Her feet move of their own accord until she is standing toe to toe with the trunk of the willow. She crouches down, not entirely sure what she is doing. She pauses for a moment and then digs her fingers into the ground, crying out from the heat it still holds. She continues to dig until finally, she finds what she is looking for.

She quickly tucks it into the wrapping of her outerwear, and leaves the field, knowing this is the last time she will return.

\---

After her fingers are soothed by a combination of cold, fall water and Force healing, Rey retreats to her cave to examine her finding. The cufflink is worn and rusted, and she would not even know what it is if it hadn’t been for her conversation with Ben the first day. It has cooled in her wrappings, so she clutches it in her fist, breathing deeply.

She feels a pulse.

And then he’s there in front of her on the cave floor, and she can breathe again. He looks on at her with concern, perhaps at her disheveled state. She gives him a breathless smile, feeling tears roll down her cheeks. Ben reaches out a hand as if to wipe them away, but he stops as he remembers they cannot touch.

The thrumming inside her abdomen grows, and Rey finally decides to test a theory.

Her arms stretches out like a bending branch, her hand hovering right over Ben’s stomach. He glances at her curiously, but he doesn’t ask questions in case he breaks her concentration. Rey focuses on what the feeling of his abdomen would be like; she hones in on the constant thrumming in her own body. She breathes deeply and closes her eyes, channeling the Force.

She gives a little bit of his Life-Force back to him.

Ben inhales sharply and grips her wrist. His hand is warm and a little rough but it-

Rey opens her eyes in shock. She can _feel_ him. He’s like how he was the day he left; the only indication that he is a Force projection is the faint blue glue around his outline. His body is fully corporeal, his hair rustling slightly as he breathes. His face, clear of a scar, is as prominent as if she were looking at her own reflection. A fresh batch of tears trail down her face, and Ben looks how she feels, as if her heart is being broken all over again.

“Rey,” he says, and he smiles.

They meet at once, their mouths locking in a desperate kiss as their arms weave around each other. Rey is surprised at how real he feels, how warm he is as he coils himself around her. His large hands work their way into her hair, untangling her already disheveled buns until her strands fall around her shoulders. His tongue traces her inner bottom lip, and she opens her mouth to him, releasing a sigh as he slips inside.

Her hands travel up his sides into his hair, slipping around his skull and then his jaw. He pulls back from the kiss to press his lips to the corner of her mouth.

“I…I wish I could always be with you,” he whispers, breathily, but with a hint of desperation in his tone.

She kisses him fully on the mouth. “You are.”

Everything else happens like a dream. Their bodies move languidly, like syrup, their mouths slow and wet and everywhere at once. The cave floor is cold on her bare skin, but his hands warm her, rubbing, pinching, caressing. He slips his hand between them to the space between her legs, and Rey sounds like someone she barely knows.

He’s a quiet lover, his mouth only attaching once or twice to her ear to whisper her name. She doesn’t mind, for she is the same way. His body covers hers like a blanket, and when he moves inside her it’s with careful, deliberate movements. Her hand comes up to grip his shoulder, her nails digging into him, knowing she will not leave marks.

When her body peaks, he kisses her again, but this time very, very softly. They move together a little more until finally his body tenses, and he removes himself, his ears a bright pink. He leans down to kiss her again, and for a moment they share the same breath. Rey’s hand finds his cheek, using her thumb to caress his skin.

“I feel like…I need to say something to you,” she breathes, “but I don’t know how.”

“You don’t need to say anything,” he murmurs comfortingly, right before he leans his mouth into hers again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to read the author’s note below!

When Rey opens her eyes the next morning, she discovers Ben is still there, sitting up against the stone wall. He stares straight ahead, but once he notices she is awake, he tilts his head to her. He reaches out with his hand, his thumb brushing her temple.

“I don’t suppose you sleep?” Rey inquires, rising slowly with a small yawn.

Ben shakes his head. “I never need to.”

Rey sits next to him, leaning her back against the cave wall. “Where do you go when you aren’t with me?”

Ben is silent for a long time. “I’m not sure,” he says quietly, “but I’m never _not_ with you, you know. I feel everything you feel. We are still a dyad, even if I’m...like this.”

“You...feel _everything_ I feel?” Rey winces apologetically. “That must be troublesome for you.” 

His hand brushes over hers. “No. Not at all.”

Their lips meet silently, and Rey’s skin reddens as she thinks about the night before. Ben smiles against her lips which only serves to make her redder. Has he no mercy?

Rey pauses against his mouth as she feels something tug at the back of her mind. Ben moves away as she looks to the mouth of the cave. She can’t hear much, what with the rushing of the falls, but she can _feel_ something. _Someone._

“Finn,” Rey whispers in disbelief. “He’s…they’re here.”

She turns to Ben, and he gives her a nod. “Go to them.”

He fades before she is fully out of the cave.

\---

“Rey!” Finn shouts as he barrels towards her, crushing her in a bearhug. “Thank goodness you’re okay!”

Chewie roars as he and BB-8 exit the _Millennium Falcon,_ Poe close behind them.

Rey laughs as Finn lifts her off of her feet in his relief. “I’m alright, I’m alright! Really.”

Finn finally releases his hold on her as the others gather around.

“You know,” Poe says, placing a hand on his hip and giving her a dry look, “I thought I told you to be careful.”

Rey smiles sheepishly. “How did you find me?”

Finn beams. “I heard your call through the Force, Rey! I really did! It was actually terrifying at first. I had no idea what it was! But I figured it out! I found you!”

Poe rests an arm on Finn’s shoulder. “Yeah, thanks for mentioning that you’re Force-sensitive by the way.”

Chewie roars in agreement while Finn winces. BB-8 rolls up to Rey and beeps. Rey grins down at the droid.

“Yes, BB-8. I’m coming home.” Her smile suddenly fades as she turns around, back in the direction of the falls.

“What’s wrong, Rey?” Finn questions, immediately concerned.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” Rey tells him, moving away from the group.

“Now hold on-” Poe begins, but Finn shoots the general a look that shuts him up.

Rey goes to the edge of the clearing, reaching out with the Force. A moment later, Ben appears, looking smug.

“I told you it would work.”

Rey wrinkles her nose, but then becomes more serious. “I’m afraid to leave,” she admits.

“Don’t be,” Ben replies, his eyes gentle.

“But what if-” Her words quiet as he takes her hand, his skin warm and rough and real.

“I’ll be right behind you,” he promises, the other hand coming up to cup her cheek.

Rey rests her hand his, taking a deep breath. She gives him a long affectionate look, before turning around.

Her eyes meet Finn’s, and in that moment she stills. He’s looking at the space behind her, at _Ben._ His brown eyes are wide, his eyebrows are furrowed in disbelief, his mouth half-open. He looks to Rey, silently asking for an explanation.

Poe notices Finn’s reaction. “What? What is it?”

Rey’s eyes meet Finn’s and they stare at each other, a wordless conversation passing between them. Finn looks like he wants to scream a million questions at her, he looks like he might spontaneously combust. Instead, he sees the emotion in her eyes, sees her pleading look of understanding, and he sobers.

“Nothing,” Finn says to Poe finally. He turns. “Come on, let’s get the _Falcon_ ready. I’m starting to get hungry.”

Rey’s shoulders go slack in relief. She gazes at Ben, and after he gives her one more look of assurance, one more squeeze of his hand, she lets go.

\---

“Don’t be afraid,” Rey tells her students, watching over them as they meditate. “Channel your breathing and reach out. Let the Force find you.”

As she paces around her pupils, she stops to smile at Finn, by far the largest of her apprentices. His face twists in concentration, and he’s violently sweating under the Tatooine sun.

Rey bends down so her mouth is by his ear. “Maybe don’t reach out quite that much.”

Finn opens his eye in acknowledgment before shutting it again and smoothening his features. As Rey comes to stand at the front of her class again, she observes each of her students. There are only seven right now, Finn included, but she suspects over time she will find more. Their ages and species vary; the only thing they have in common is the energy and spiritual connection around them. And maybe, that’s enough.

After all, Rey has learned not to doubt the importance of a connection.

She glances off to the side, just in time to see Luke and Leia appear before her, like the day they did when she first arrived to Tatooine. But this time they aren’t alone.

Ben meets her eyes and smiles. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this story is over, but it’s not over, lol; I’ll explain in a second. Thanks for reading my short little fic. I hope this helped some of you feel a little better about the ending of TROS. I think I’m going to write a more lighthearted fic soon about Rey going about her daily life on Tatooine with Ben by her side. I suppose it sort of could act as a part 2 to this story, but I’m treating it as a standalone. I think it would be fun to explore the bantering/conversational side of them as he follows her in her daily life. Let me know that you think! I’ll totally take title suggestions for this concept if you can think of one! 
> 
> Potential summary:
> 
> Rey learns the various ups and downs of having a Force ghost tag along with her wherever she goes.
> 
> A lighthearted, feel-good, post-TROS fic featuring lots of banter and awkward life adjustments. 
> 
> (This might be a one-shot, but it totally depends on the feedback/demand for more chapters once I get started!)


End file.
